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After a long period of clustered preparation in many US cities, the Eritreans activists’ campaign culminated in a large meeting in Washington DC between May 23 until May 25.

The Eritrean movement was initially inspired by the Arab Spring in 2012.

In late 2010 Mohammed Bouazizi, a frustrated young street vendor set himself on fire in protest against the injustices in Tunisia. Bouazizi’s sacrifice inspired Tunisians to protest against their government and forced the Tunisian dictator, Zen Al-Abedeen Bin Ali to flee the country in January 2011, after ruling it for 23 years. He fled to Saudi Arabia where he sought refuge and where he is still living.

The Bouazizi type of protest reached Egypt where a man set himself alight. Weeks of popular protest ensued and by February 2011, the Egyptian protest intensified forcing Hosni Mubarak to step down ending his 30-year rule.

In October 2011, a similar uprising in Libya resulted in the killing of Muammar Al Gathafi who had ruled Libya for 42 years.

Meanwhile, the uprisings that spread to many Arab countries is either continuing with great human and material cost, or has attracted foreign interests that complicated the situation leaving several countries in abysmal conditions.

The Syrian uprising that started in March 2011 in the wake of the Arab Spring has resulted in worse conditions and incited Russia, the USA, the Gulf Arab countries, and Turkey to get involved. So far, the situation in Syria has transformed into a civil war producing about 7 million internally displaced people as well as about 5 million refugees who left the country.

By 2014, the Islamic State (ISIS) had controlled large territories in Syria with an estimated 8 million population under its mercy.

In Yemen, the Arab spring started in January 2011 just after the Tunisian uprising, and by 2012, after a failed assassination attempt, Ali Saleh who ruled Yemen for 22 years was forced to resign. And though Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi was elected as his replacement, Ali Saleh continued to play political role and allied himself with the Houthi movement. However, in December 2017 his alliance with the Houthis came to an end and he was killed while fleeing from his palace.

Soon, the Yemeni uprisings and protests turned into a full-fledged civil war, and finally with the involvement of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, it became a wider regional conflict. Since then, the two countries have been bombing Yemen turning its cities into rubble and causing a widespread disease, hunger, and a collapse of most of the vital civil services.

In addition to the above countries, Sudan and Algeria have been continuing the protests since the spread of the Arab Spring though both protests were on and off for different reasons. Currently, both countries have reached decisive moments in their attempt to usher a post-dictatorship era. However, observers believe the two countries risk ending up with another dictatorship as evidenced in Egypt the chain of events finally brought General Abdulfatah Al Sisi to power.

Eritrean #Enough Campaign

The Kifaya movement had its origin in 2004 when the Egyptian Movement for Change (EMFC) made it its rallying cry in protesting against the regime of Husni Mubarak. It survived in a relatively low profile until 2011 when it joined the Arab Spring protests when many social-media savvy young Egyptians became part of the movement. Thus, the Kifaya slogan was popularized and became synonymous with the Arab Spring.

Eritrean activists adopted the #Kifaya slogan inspired by the Arab Spring. And by November 2011, Eritrean activists fully adopted the slogan and launched the Eritrean Youth Solidarity for Change (EYSC), a Facebook movement that brought together several other groups under one umbrella. However, by 2013, the group ceased to exist.

Last year, the #Kifaya movement was resurrected again (#Enough in English and #Yiakl in Tigrinya) and it soon gained wide acceptance. Following an extensive campaign, the #Enough movement established affiliates in 35 cities across the USA and an overwhelming number of Diaspora Eritreans joined it.

Finally, in coincidence with the Eritrean Independence Day (May 24), the movement called for a countrywide conference in Washington, DC. Eighty-one elected representatives from 35 cities, and hundreds of people attended the conference.

The movement carried out a popular rally in Washington, DC, where a large number of Eritreans participated.

In its first conference, the movement formed a congress composed of the representatives of the cities and elected a 35-member central council. It also delegated the seven-member organizing committee to act as an executive body for a month after which it is expected to elect a permanent committee.

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bardavidi

Hi all……Once the goal of Eradicating the DIA Cancer is done, then what…? Are they going to get involved in Professional Activism as we see it in our hemisphere…….which is nothing more than making the system ungovernable that encourages morale dilution and raise hell advocacy from a distance or there is an actual plan to get Involved in an Economic and Educational development in Practical terms ………It pays to plan for the Future…….Its almost at hand…………..Selah

hello in peace.
I am worried the well meant “YiAkil” movement will be hijacked by the disgruntled opposition, that brought nothing good to Eritrea as much as the tyrannic dictatorial rulings there.
you may check @Seber_Angle on Twitter and https://SeberAngle.wordpress.com

bardavidi

Hi all Activism…..? When some of us Hear the word activism it strikes a very radical left-wing cord……..That advocates for Abortion on demand, Homosexual rights are Human rights, Legislating Moral values and Taxes , and more taxes advocacy ……..Where the Government knows better mentality…………On a second note……..The so called the Arab spring turned out to be a Nightmare of Terror that claimed and is still claiming the Lives of Tens of Thousands of Innocent Civilians in Syria, Yemen, and Libya fanned by Obama and his Morally Deficient Associates………..Eritrea is Better than that and needs only Peace and Development thru Democracy and Nothing else…………..Selah

Saleh Johar

Bar Davido,
Isn’t it better to strike left than right wing?

bardavidi

Hi Saleh…….. Is in it the Maoistic-Socialist movement that gave Birth to Isaias and his Stooges ? Sometimes we seem to forget the Ideology of the Subject and stress on the Personality………..Eritrea needs as much the Removal of the Socialst Lefty Ideology as it would Isaias and his State Machinery………..I would rather be Right than wrong……………Selah

Consolation

Selamat,

There is a popular truism attributed to Einstein that says that doing the same thing and expecting a different result is a sign of insanity. The same people who for 20 years have been serving the weyane, who have irredeemably discredited themselves are now engaged in another round of useless attempt chasing the mirage thay have been trying to get for 40 years. When will it dawn on them that Eritreans, who keep defeating all their enemies, are unlikely to succumb to the most incompetent people.

Conceit blunts faculty of reasoning. It sets the mind on a one way track. Does Einstein’s truism also apply to the despot and the way he has been doing his business for decades and getting the same – condemnation? I mean apprehending critics, torturing, rotting victims in dark fox holes indefinitely, kidnapping, liquidating etc.

I see hope on the transitional executive members. The fact that they are educated indicates that they will work professionally and will use their education, work and skill experiences to the maximum to reach to the goal and objectives.
Secondly, they are transitional, meaning they are going to outreach to all Eritreans so that the next executive members will be more inclusive. In any struggle you have to start from the few. The point is that the ability of those few to reach the majority. I hope the rest follow DC’s initiative.
Last but not least I remind the members that they will see the systematic PF(DJ)’s 2 “D”s Destruct and Divide methods and some are even running them in this forum:
For an Eritrean justice seeker with a Muslim name they unleash Islamophobia and for an Eritrean justice seeker with Christian name they depict him or her as a Tigraway or Weyane.

Kifaya Yiakl Enough

Nitricc

I see hope on the transitional executive members

Hi Brhan; sorry, hope is not strategy!! but I am glad you are hoping.

The fact that they are educated indicates that they will work professionally and will use their education, work and skill experiences to the maximum to reach to the goal and objectives.

Which planet are you living. Educated people are the most corrupted and selfish people on earth. But again I am glad you have hope.

Brhan

Hi,
I am sorry that you lost hope!

Nitricc

Hi Brhan; I didn’t say I lost hope; all I said was hope is not a strategy. How difficult is to understand that? good luck with your hope.

Kokhob Selam

Hi Nitricc,

Can I say congratulation on this one?

Keep it up man!

Who from your type of stand ….would have stayed this much? Really you are man of principle…Don’t leave this site to the end..you will be appreciated at last..I am really interested to see you..

KS,,

Haben

Dear Nitricc,
Allow me to interject myself in this conversation. It seems to me that you are very stellar in pointing out the flaws of the opposition. However, no matter how many times you hammer them for their flaws it is not going to help solve the problems Eritrea face today. As a person, have you ever thought of coming with a substantive plan, different from the opposition, that could help guide the young generation in their struggle for change. Just for a moment please come up with a road map that you think is viable and can work in the current context of Eritrea.
Thank You

Millennium

Brhan:

How do you know they are educated? I do not know what level of education qualifies one to be called educated but, in my opinion, the ones I know in the list won’t meet that criteria

Millennium

Brhan

Hi
It means you did not give your vote. It is OK. This is democracy – your vote is respected but majority rules.

Selamat Paul,
You are a great educator. Great to have you here! I hope young and old Eritrean flock to Awate to read these flickering gems of yours.

Paulos

Selam Hailat,

Thank you for those kind words. As you have aptly put it, the idea is to inspire the younger generation and most of all, in light of the recent debate about the essence of Democracy, I wanted to say a thing or to about it particularly with in a historical context. If time permits, will try to expand it a bit further to present day so that it will help us see why it matters in Africa as well.

Ismail AA

Selam Haile S,

You are quite right. I detected that quality and all around competence in him and Dr. Beyan Negash (where is by the way?) long ago. Our youth are really unlucky. These gentlemen and scores of others like them should have in our colleges and universities back home. Isayas had shown hostility to learnt Eritreans right from the beginning of his career in the field by liquidating the first arrivals of them early on.

Paulos

Selam Kbur Haw Ismail AA,

Thank you. Glad you like it. Hope Dr. Beyan is well. It has been a while since he graced the Forum with his presence.

Hayat Adem

Paul, dearest:
after this little country of ours aka eritrea regains normalcy, promise me to devote your time on educating the young and writing for the average citizen. Nothing would make better sense to expect you to do something else for your people with such a possession of tones of relevant knowledge. That is on top of the fact that we owe you already for the many things you gave us. Not many people here may not know that you have done great in the knowledge production industry that have benefitted many. You have helped many get published. Despite that, more is still needed from you to educate our young including by reaching them through your own books
Hayat

mokie berhe

Salam Hayat Adem. No need to wait! If you look on the Mekelle University website, there are currently several vacancies for the posts of Lecturer and Graduate Assistant and Technical Assistant, which require only a GPA of 2.5 for females and 2.75 for males for which one can now apply against. And let’s face it, several people here have frequented Mekelle in recent years whereas they have not seen Eritrea in decades.

Paulos

Mokie,

Man, you need help. Really!

Hayat Adem

Mokie,
You made a good point here when you said:
“And let’s face it, several people here have frequented Mekelle in recent years whereas they have not seen Eritrea in decades.”
IA told Eritreans to go to the moon if they wanted to contribute to thir country outside the PFDJ political channel. And you shouldn’t blame them if many Eritreans found it easier to go to Mekelle than to the Moon.

mokie berhe

Hi Hayat Adem. If you and Paul need a reference, I’ve heard that Getachew Assefa is now a part-time lecturer at Mekelle University teaching Ethics & Morality. Leaving the moon aside, I don’t know of any Eritreans that were forced to go to Mekelle on vacation or to attend organised opposition meetings during the period 1998-2018.

Paulos

Mokie,

That is pretty funny and creative. Thank you for the laugh.

That said however, not sure if you have heard of it as you have alluded or if it is the product of your obsessed mind. Here is the deal though: Why don’t you buy or get a punching bag and write Weyane or Getachew Assefa on it and punch it left and right twice a day for an hour each so, so that you would feel better. Think about it seriously.

Nitricc

Hey Mokie; hahahahahaha that is funny. So you are saying P is from Mekelle? lol well I have no idea how Adi-NaAmin turn out to Mekelle but I have my theory. It is stunning the way P defends the thugs from Tigray. I wish P defended Eritrea 0.2% of 100% the TPLF thugs. After all may be P should teach some ethics while Hayat teaching the Art of deception, trickery and lies.

Ismail AA

Selam mokie berhe,

“And let’s face it, several people here [this forum] have frequented Mekelle in recent years whereas they have not seen Eritrea in decades”. This one of the interesting affirmative statements you make, which means you own the truth about what you state.
Sir, I am one of the Eritreans opposing the regime who had visited Mekelle. Not for political reasons but for a personal reason that I will share with.

In 2010 I travelled to Mekelle to visit my nephew in a jail there. He was one of many the regime had neglected after have been ambushed in the border area out posts of the regime. These were young conscripts. Once something happened to them, the regime disowned them. The victims end up in military courts in Tigrai state. at which cases against them were concocted. In my nephews, he was accused on two counts: One entry without visa, and the second mission to plant explosives inside Ethiopia. The verdict of those “offenses” was 15 years in jail: 2 years for visa violation and the rest for terrorism. So my poor nephew was serving 15 year term. When I visited there I saw many young Eritreans, majority of of them wounded, whose loved ones home or elsewhere did not know their whereabouts.

So, I see you trying to glorify a regime that is has submerged up to its neck in a sea of crimes and follies. I do not know, why you get irritated when some Eritreans go to Ethiopia when they are denied of their basic natural rights of visiting their own country.

Saleh Johar

Ismail,
I am amazed the way the pfdj has two or three different Ethiopias. Do you remember when the Kate Ali Saeed visited Gondar, I wrote asking why his visit was kosher and other visits were a crime? There are about a quarter of Eritreans in Ethiopia and the regime gives permission for people to go to Ethiopia. But whenever someone outside the grip of the pfdj travels, they manufacture a whole different set of rules that they apply selectively. What’s the difference between mekkele and Gondar or Bashir dar? If Isaias goes to mekelle, it will be kosher again. It’s a gang operating with gangster laws.

Ismail AA

Dear Saleh,
It’s indeed amazing. Their leader creates for them a world for them whenever it suits him. We have seen that happening throughout the past almost three decades now. Sir, incidentally, have you seen my response to your last mail on documentation. I am afraid it could end up on screen of an unintended addressee.

Alex

Hi Ismail AA,
We Eritreans are not zombies to believe everything the GOV says. I do not agree with TPLF apologist who defend them at expense of Eritrea. The people who are now saying our border has to be demarcated are the ones that never raise the issue when TPLF were in power. A lot of them were based or use to visit addis but now it is convenient to raise it. Sad

Berhe Y

Hi Alex,

Let’s forget the “tplf apologist” and what they have to say.

What do you think should happen with regards to the boarder? And when?

A new phenomenon is unfolding before our own eyes next door. A king is being enthroned in tigray. We saw him sitting on his throne wearing his crown, his decorated cloak and moving through the streets of his capital in his imperial coach waving to his people as they applauded and ululate for the emperor. That was emperor Debretsion.

Emperors always do their best to make their empire greater and bigger. That is what history tells us. Maybe emperor Debretsion has not succeeded to become emperor of ethiopia as his predecessors, but there is nothing that is in his way from becoming emperor of Axum and Tigray, and finally the emperor of the so called greater tigray or agaziland.

Although what i am saying could be just a theory, but it is not entirely unfounded as things are developing. The last time we saw a leader with a crown on his head, wearing imperial cloak and riding in an imperial coach was HS.

As long as tplf’s revolutionary democracy, ethnic politics and federation and constitution are no more panacea for ethiopians, all tools for tplf supremacy and hegemony, there is nothing unusual that an emperor is in the making as long as the dream remains alive and strong.

Under such circumstances do you expect an easy demarcation, when tplf pushed outwards the border of tigray by incorporating not only eritrean land but amhara territories as well, and when it declares that it is ready to fight for them, at least as much as amhara lands are concerned. Could demarcation be equivalent to cancelling out the dream of greater tigray as much as tplf is concerned?

Remember the greater tigray and agaziland dreams are here to remain in the psyche of many tplf supporters. It is the pandora’s box in waiting to open at a crucial point in the future. Unfortunately, because no side is ready to to be convinced for the sake of peace and the wellbeing of the people in the ethio-eritrean politics, even for minor issues as well, the motto, let’s wait and see till the other wavers will continue to be the recipe, and the economy will be in a standstill phase for years to come, and antagonism will continue to be the name of the game, a self-defeating and a self-destructive phenomenon.

Berhe Y

Hi Horizon,

I don’t think we need to lose sleep what becomes of Debretsion if he got the support of the people of Tigray. He can be King, king of kings or emperor really, not Eritrea’s problem.

Eritrea has the legal and the international community (UN, AU, US, EU ) and others on it’s side and all it needs to demand is the ruling is respected and remind / demand Ethiopia to comply. If a negotiations is needed to adjust some of the lines, as long as it’s done with the consent of the people and done legally, Eritrea should not have a problem.

What Eritrea needs is to move on with it’s life at the same time giving time for peaceful resolution of the boarder.

Tigray and Debretsion will realize that, a peaceful, strong and economic viable Eritrea is to their advantage.

Agazian, Abay Tigray, the Tigray Kingdom what ever they want they can do as long as it doesn’t implicate Eritrea, it’s boarders and it’s people…

Berhe

Hayat Adem

Horizon,
You have no shame of saying such things? You have a leader you support who pronounced publicly of himself repeatedly as selected the 7th emperor since childhood and you are telling us here
that a tegadalay who spent the best part of his life as a TPLF fighter ready and willing to give his life for his cause that he is now giving you the impression of an emperor in the making? How did I think you belonged to a progressive group from the Ethiopian elites? Interesting!

You should be ashamed much more, when your heart bleeds so much for tplf. How do you interpret Debretsion’s behavior? Many, even tigrayans included, except digital woyane of course, are condemning him for his outrageous imperial behavior. Members of the ethiopian tewahido church are complaining that such actions of enthroning oneself is against the ethiopian church’s tradition. Who is acting as an emperor here? Words and actions are not the same.

Hayat Adem

Horizon,
In my mind, I am not heart-bleeding for TPLF or the man you mentioned. I am cleaning lies and deceptions of yours. The great length you went to stretch your imagined points is amazing.
Ethiopian urban politics is increasingly basing itself on Amara false and deceptive assumptions. It will hurt the country big time eventually. From my exchanges elsewhere, there are many from the rest of Ethiopia second-thinking and disgusted of the Amara-self-centered elite priorities. You know it but you don’t care as the country’s wellbeing is not your priority.
I am so sure the Amara people are as noble and humble people as any other Ethiopians. I would never the people through this self-serving elites. I wouldn’t even say they are large in number this size elites who qualify for this kind of belly-first interest advancing political drive.. But few like are without shame projecting special status claim for no bigger purpose than personal comfort and petty convenience on being mindful of generous consumption for themselves at the expense of the country’s fate. They are the loudest to speak of Ethiopia and yet they are the ones that shackled her for years and counting. They are the ones who complained of ethnic politics, and yet they are the biggest promoters of it as is now trending more vividly. They are the ones who spoke of others and accuse them of deviating from Ethiopianism and unity and yet they are the ones have always repulsed others from that nation building project. They are the ones who are so obsessed with territorial claim: raya, wolkyt, metekel, assab, somalia, etc. In terms of freeing the country from apt poverty and acute backwardness: those are the last things in their mind.
What behavior? So putting on traditional church costumes are now issues? Your guy said he was selected to be a king while he was a child. He thought it was important for the rest of us to know that it was not a party leadership ascendance alone that brought him but a divine lift as well. He is acting like one. TPLF is only running one state called Tigray. So, evaluate his performance based on whether he is delivering and satisfying his constituency and not based on what you think about him. I believe what you accused him of becoming is the last thing in his mind or others with more stake with him are feeling him. Such are not the ways the TPLF leadership and the Tigray politics is wired.

You said, “Such are not the ways the TPLF leadership and the Tigray politics is wired.” This is among the many myths ethiopians were told by tplf over a quarter century and no one believed them.
Amhara remains tplf’s nemesis. Unfortunately for tplf, it can’t hate amhara more than it did when it came. It can’t hurt amhara any more than it did when in power.
You seem somehow to tell us that ethiopia lost a good friend in tplf. Only that it was a friend that killed, looted and almost destroyed her by pitting one ethnic group against the other, and now you are accusing others for that.
No group ever showed belly-first interest in ethiopia like tplf. Everybody knows it. It is tplf who came poor fighters and ended up millionaires.
If ethiopia is not my priority, please teach me by making eritrea your priority and not tplf.
Unlike others, Tigray under tplf will enjoy freedom, poverty and backwardness will be history, but no tigrayan believe it. Habit does not die easily. What they had been doing at the center, they are now doing it on the poor people of tigray. Tplf is no good for nobody, but only for its apologists.

Nitricc

In my mind, I am not heart-bleeding for TPLF or the man you mentioned.

hayat; I am convinced that either your sick which you have no control over your self or you are undermining severely the participants of this forum. They are not as stupid as you think. Digital weyane my foot.

Hayat Adem

Nitricc,
What is this “digital weyane” you seem to be obsessed with recently? i asked someone i thought would know after i read it foe the first time. Didn’t tell me much that makes sense. As far as i can understand, weyane is a socio-political movement and not a tech revo.

I am sure you know what it means. Nevertheless, “Digital Woyane” is tplf’s new social media warfare and battlefield after it was defeated and it retreated to tigray. It is Debretsion’s brainchild, the weapon tplf uses to fight reform in ethiopia in order to retain tplf supremacy and hegemony. It is the means to spread fake news all over ethiopia, to demean, demonize and to confuse, so that people turn against the the government and against the change.

Hayat, you are one of the top generals in this war effort. You started right on day one of the ascent of pm Abiy to power. You called him a plagiarizer, you character assassinated him, and you used many demeaning terms against him with the help of the known group.

Admassie

Selam Horizon,

I am responding to the comment you projected to Debrestion regarding his ካባ. I do not have any inside information why he wore ካባ, but let me give my guess.

In general it is a human trend that countries, regions, localities and societies want to exhibit their peculiar cultural heritage in an event or events happening in their location.

Having such perspective in mind, recently we are seeing different societies of our country doing this trend as a manifestation of their culture and tradition whenever officials visit their area. Abiy and Isayas were in that colorful Wolayta coat during their visit to Hawassa. Abi dressed ባለ ጃኖ ጥለት እጀ ጠባብ when he visited Gondar. Both the Somali regional state president and the chairman of the governing party dressed Abiy with their traditional attire during his visit to jigjiga.

Similarly, Axum dressed Debretsion with what it believes is its cultural and religious way of accepting its official guest symbolizing ንቡረዑድ (የአክሱም መንፈሳዊና አለማዊ አሰተዳዳሪ). አክሱም ጺዮን is the center of the EOC (ዳግማዊት እየሩሳሌም). They want their official dressed in such a way when he is in their እየሩሳሌም. You saw Debretsion dressed in ካባ only two times (one at the event of ህዳር ጺዮን and the other is few days ago on ግንቦት 20 celebration). And both happened in Axum! So, we are not short of reasons in trashing what we hate dearly, but insinuating such trivial events does not bring any good. Hammering a nail wrongly does not fix a roof.

Admassie A.

Teodros Alem

selam admassie
1st “kabe” is not original culture of tigrai, it is originated from orthodox cultural dressing rules of gonder under “fasil dynasty”. that is the historical fact of “kaba”.

It is a pity that i am forced to respond to a psychopathic personality like you. Please take your medicine before you comment. You are a rabid dog barking at everybody and biting everything you find. That is why you come to this website whenever you have a crisis. You must have grown up as an abandoned and abused child, the product of a broken family. ስድ ኣደግ፣ ቦዘኔ, a pauper. I had said in the past you do not exist, and you remain as such, as much as i am concerned. Live your lonely and miserable life, because i doubt that you fit in any human company. I had said i would not respond to you, unfortunately i broke my promise. I will try again to do that.

Teodros Alem

selam horizon
which one from what i said above u disagree???
because of people like u dogs, people like admassie, aman h, hayat and so on r able to lie 24/7,
It is u and ur family who raised u to be a dog r the mian responsible for this and u know it and when the real time come i det u and those raised u to be a dog will pay the prize and tigrai is irrelevant to the wellbing of ethiopia and ur assignment regarding tigrai is irrelevant too. the future of ethiopia is more with somalia, south and so on, not with tigrai.

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Admassie,

“we are not short of reasons in trashing what we hate dearly, but insinuating such trivial events does not bring any good. Hammering a nail wrongly does not fix a roof.”

It is human to have a different view and to disagree but it should be with respect and civility. But if it is otherwise, the best remedy is likewise as አያ ወልዴ – IGNORING.

Admassie A.

Teodros Alem

selam admassie
u don’t make any sense at all, all i hear from u guys r , let us lie, twists thing up and when u guys r told it’s a lie , u guys say i will break u, i will kill u, destroy ur family(with tigraya accent) and so on but am sure u don’t say what u saying here in the internet, if it is face to face.

Alex

Hi Berhe,
I want the border to be demarcated ASAP and the Gov have the duty to push for it without excuse about the situation in Ethiopia. We paid so much blood and resources for it to be delayed. Let see who will be the obstacle for the border not to be demarcated based on the EEBC verdict.

Paulos

Alex,

Isaias the psychopath started the war and caused the death of thousands of Eritreans. Now, if you have the guts, go and stand up to him precisely for causing misery on Eritrea and Eritreans or else go and d*mb your garbage somewhere else.

Alex

Hi Paulos,
We know the war started after TPLF killed in cold blood 8 innocent members of Eritrean Defence force who went to talk to them regarding the displacement of Eritreans from their land. You know there are so many people that can be blamed from both sides for starting and exacerbating the situation. If you want to blame PIA for it then it is prerogative. You are the one that seem to have problem with PIA and why don’t you go and stand up to him in Eritrea that saying Yakil from far.

Paulos

Alex,

Wrong! Again take your garbage where it belongs because the World body gave its verdict saying that Isaias the psychopath started the war and caused the death of thousands of Eritreans. That is the hard and cold fact!

Nitricc

Hey P: no matter what you are wrong. when the UN said Badime is Eritrean you never acknowledge it, yet, when the UN said Eritrea started the war, you are all over it. If the war was ignited because of Badime, yet Badime belonged to Eritrea how is Eritrea to ignite the war? Sometimes, stop and think. I know this time around, we can never predict who is the DIGITAL WEYANE but you sound very much as such. How much are they paying you?

Hameed Al-Arabi

Ahlan Alex,

In the past twenty years, Isaias were telling Eritreans that there is no negotiation with Ethiopia until border is demarcated. For the past twenty years, the opposition didn’t say there is no need for border demarcation. This means both Isaias and opposition believe in border demarcation. Now, Isaias said no need for border demarcation, and it is a must for all Eritreans including opposition groups to voice that border demarcation is imperative. Though it is not a complicated issue, Mr. Alex, you want to make of it an issue. I hope you grasped why you hear that Eritreans and opposition demand for border demarcation at present.

Al-Arabi

mokie berhe

Salam Saleh Johar. Are you referring to travel undertaken during the period 1998-2018 (prior to the peace agreement) or travel undertaken afterwards? There is a difference.

Saleh Johar

Mokie,
I do not believe the PFDJ should decide the season in which exiled Eritreans travel to any country. The PFDJ calendar belongs to it.

mokie berhe

Salam Saleh Johar. In your December 10, 2011 article ‘A Congress By The Hawassa Lake’ you said ‘May God bless the Ethiopians with more resources so that they can offer substantial help to the Eritrean resistance’. The Congress was held at the Haile Resort for which the (TPLF) Ethiopian Federal Government hosted. You had mentioned that you had met Bereket Simon in passing there. In retrospect, do you believe that it would have been better to have hosted the Congress in a different country and to have appealed to a non-TPLF entity for resources? Thanks.

They are brainwashed acting like a “tape recorder” messaging the same thing day in day out. In order to remind them the way you tried to remind them and to make them understand the whole realities, they have to go to de-brainwashing process to learn new realities. The process requires new environment. Until then, we have to ignore the reruns of of tapes of brainwashed messengers.

Regards

Paulos

Selam Professor A. Hidrat,

If there was any testament to Isaias’ legacy, it was last week when we witnessed a sharply divided Eritrea in DC and elsewhere.

When we are one people of common history, values and age old traditions throughout corners of Eritrea, one man divided us and he is not letting up but doubling down when his latest speech added fuel to the fire. What is even more astounding is that, on T-shirts that defies logic and reality, they flashed words that say “ኮኾብ ኣፍሪቃ” where if the Continent was a person, would weep of the travesty.

Saleh Johar

Mokie,
Of course it wold have been way better if there was no need for the opposition not to have lived outside Eritrea.

mokie berhe

Salam Saleh Johar. Non sequitur? I will not press you further on the matter. Thank you and have a great weekend.

Teodros Alem

selam iasmail
r u telling us there r a fedral prison in tigrai? i didn’t know federal police use any other prisons except meakelawe, kality, kelinto, shawa robit, deradawa and zewaye?
and ur nephew charge is a federal court issue.

Nitricc

the regime had neglected after have been ambushed in the border area out posts of the regime.

Once something happened to them, the regime disowned them

In my nephews, he was accused on two counts: One entry without visa, and the second mission to plant explosives inside Ethiopia.

Hey Ismail; if anyone is as clear as crystal in communicating and expressing oneself buy for the life of me I am confused by your above statement. I couldn’t connect to anything. If they were ambushed then captured, then there in no need for charging entering visa. if they were ambushed there is nothing the government of Eritrea could do, it is war and to use the “disowned” is dishonest. However; it is possible they got ambushed while trying to plant explosions but you are not what you saying. My question is how is it possible for them to get ambushed and allegedly captured but accused entering the country with out visa? confusing.

Teodros Alem

Selam Nitricc
Basically what he said is, his nephew sent to ethiopia by eri gov to do terrorist activities and caught by ethio gov and end up serving 15 years in mekele jail and that was why he went to mekele to visit his nephew in mekele prison.
in the past i know a lot of ethiopia(mostly tigraians) accused of collaborating with eri gov, and they all r in a federal gov prison and this kind of case is always a federal gov job.
u see how small this guy is ,talking about.

Ismail AA

Selam Teodros Alem,
በሽተኛ ነህና የፈጠረህ ይርዳህ። ሰው ሰለ ሆንክ ግን ኣከብርሃለሁ። Had you not exposed your quality, I would have been happy to debate you in prolonged debate. But you know why worthy and knowledgeable forumers do not engage you. Many of us are really fortunate we do not meet you in person. My problem is you belong to human species. That is why I told in the language you speak but do not comprehend. As a human being I respect. Please, kindly do not respond to my posts. They are not meant for you.

Teodros Alem

selam.iasmail
every time when u said something, i just show how u r nothing but pathological liar. that is all i got nothing to say for u, u r so small.

Ismail AA

Selam Teodros,
Thank you. You have proven you are wild predator animal. Humans avoid such creatures of God. You cannot even copy a name correctly. That is why I said you walk with big frozen brain.

Teodros Alem

selam iasmail
ur big frozen brain fabricated only lying, got help. and u only good at lying and cursing .

Ismail AA

Selam Nitricc,

I can see your confusion. I did not delve into details of the case because it is personal and irrelevant to the thread. I just mentioned it in relation of a specific issue mokie berhe cited – travel to Mekele. The point I wanted to state was that the regime did not bother to use relevant authorities on POWs to track their fate.

A government in a state of war has obligation to register captured or missing in action with relevant UN organs, and through them holds the adversary for life and welfare of prisoners.

Now, the case my nephew was a bit complicated, the reason I did not want to engage the reader. So to address the confusion or scepticism if you will, you had voiced, here is point you may ponder on. My nephew and his companion were part of a unit of six sent on duty by a border
outpost commander. They were ambushed by a proxy unit of Qernelios. 4 could escape the capture because the two had cover by gun fire their exit route. By the time the 4 reached safe distance, it was too late. They were surrounded, and had to capitulate.The captors completed briefings about why they came to that spot which was inside the Eritrean territory. Later, they took all information and videos, which they used for publicity about their battle with the enemy. But later on, they wanted to garner another benefit by handing them to an Ethiopian military security unit. This in turn handed them over to local military tribunal, which again referred them to a civilian court after concocting a case. They used the captors as accusers and witnesse, and charges were read. You can imagine the two poor youngsters were alone with nobody to help them or defend them. They were just told they were condemned to 15 years in jail.

We as family got the information too late after the verdict. The family did not get the information from the government; they got it from the propaganda broadcast of Qernelios’. I am sure the goverment was informed about the case because 4 of the unit did manage to break out from the ambush.

I hope I have clarified the issue.

Mez

Hi Ismill AA,

Sad to hear about your Nephew’s state of affairs, that he being in jail.

I assume there are more similar with his case.

I think there must be a legal way to re-open their case in court again–since the main factor (war condition between the two countries) changed for the good. I have the feeling they can get cleared with their offence, under the prevailing new condition.

We can start probably by writing names, and prison status on Awate;

AN AWARENESS INITIATIVE, MAY BE NEEDED!

Can we try that? What will it take to start?

Thanks

Ismail AA

Dear Mez,

Thanks for your suggestion. It demonstrates humane conscience. The case is now closed because after the changes that took place with installation of Dr. Abij my nephew and his companion were released late 2018 and sent to a refugee camp.

After they were taken and “charged”, I tried with a lot of spending (you can imagine what that involed) to try an appeal and go to federal court in Addis Ababa. It ended up as waste of money to a defense lawyer and the many facilitators, and the case dismissed. The judge endorsed the previous decision.The reason given was that the case had security related aspects.

Mez

Dear Ismail AA,

Thank you.

mokie berhe

Salam Ismail AA. On what basis do you make the libelous statement ‘I see you trying to glorify a regime that is has submerged up to its neck in a sea of crimes and follies’. As you clearly mentioned your personal travel to Mekelle was to follow-up on the unfortunate situation of your nephew and not for political reasons or for a vacation.

Paulos

Selam Kbur Haw Ismail AA,

I am really sorry to hear about your nephew’s ordeals. I must say, he is super lucky to have an uncle like you. God bless!

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Ismailo,

Sorry to hear the horrific exepetience your nephew has encountered in his productive life. It is a common practice for the Eritrean regime to disown the Eritrean people once they fall in the hand of the enemy or once they left the country. In the mind of the regime the Eritrean people are there to protect the throne of the emperor for life long,

Berhe Y

Hi Amanuel,

We know how the dictator despises the Eritrean people. What I find it strange is how the Ethiopian (TPLF) officials were acting in this unfortunate example of Ismail nephew. Shouldn’t Ethiopia had the obligation to act according to international laws…what happens to PoW or the Geneva Convention or handed them over to the Red Cross.

Berhe

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Berhe,

I really can not answer your question (a) whether Ismail’s nephew was accused by the Federal or by the state (b) I don’t know how the Federal court of Ethiopia and the state court’s work. May be Ismailo from his visit to him has learned how their courts function. I also don’t know whether his nephew got a defense lawyer. It is a very sad ordeal Eritreans are facing everywhere both in their country and outside their country. Therefore, It is unwise for me to comment for something I don’t know.

Berhe Y

Hi Emma,

I understand without knowing the facts, I am just going by what Ismail said “he was ambushed”. I am assuming he was on his side of the boarder and he was ambushed by the Ethiopian side and captured.

It sounds to me that, he was captured and by the definition of proper rules of engagement, he is a PoW, and as such entitled to all protection and rights he deserves.

As much as the TPLF are looking after their interests first, but honestly I don’t think they are a good partner / neighbor that wanted and wish the best for their neighbors.

I know for a fact there is a lot of corruption at the cost of the Eritrean refugees who are in Tigray. Many, many Eritreans who suppose to be resettled from there have taken advantage.

Off course, ሰብአይ ደሊኻን ጭሕሚ ጸሊኢካን፡ as we say. Since we depend on them to escape, I am sure

Ismail AA

Selam Aman & Berhe,

Thank you for the concern both of you have expressed. Actually, I did not intend to shift attention from the thread on hand. Some one tried to associate visits to Mekele by some Eritreans with politics of support of TPLF. This called for a passing comment from my side, but some known regime surrogates as well as one unpolished Ethiopian took the issue , as they often do in this forum, an opportunity to derail the debate. Anyway, I had to respond to some posts. One of them was to Nitricc who recently expressed confusion. I had given a few details. So I would like to refer you to that entry to find answers to inquiries you have raised.

Berhe Y

Dear Ismail,

Thank you and I just read the response you gave to Nitricc. I am glad your nephew got out and it’s unfortunate, by the Eritrean regime that a life of an Eritrean doesn’t matter once it no longer in their control.

Some countries send their secret operation to rescue and save a few of their citizens and here we have an Eritrean government who does nothing even let their loved once know their fate. I don’t know, what the future holds for Eritrea, when we have these type of commanders in charge and they have no disregard to the life of young people who perish endlessly.

Berhe

Saleh Johar

Ismail,
I hesitated to tell you not to engage in some discourses that are not carried out with good intentions, but I know how difficult it is–often I violate my own vows and respond knowing is useless. But regardless, you are born a gentleman and you will remain a patriotic gentleman. And I am very disappointed by a very few people who have started to debate years ago yet they remain frozen in the state and prejudice they first came with.

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Ismailo,

There are few individuals you have to ignore them. You know them by name. They are not worth to engage them. They are annoying. Stay away from them.

Regards

Millennium

HI Ismail:

Was your nephew in Ethiopia to actually do what he was accused of and are you angry with Eritrean government for sending him on such unacceptable mission? Or are you saying he was wrongly accused and you are angry with government in Tigray for unjust verdict?

Millennium

Hameed Al-Arabi

Ahlan Mokie berhe,

You think that Eritreans have forgotten the treason your boss has committed against Eritreans. Your boss has slept in Mekiele before any Eritrean, and perpetrated a capital crime against Eritreans. Even Mekele acknowledges his capital crime performed against innocent Eritreans. There is no way, Mr. Mokie, to clean your hands from that capital crime of treason. Your boss is caught red-handed, Mr. Mokie, and the dawn of Eritreans is not far. I hope you to live until you witness your boss and his cohorts behind the iron-bars. I understand you see it far, but Eritreans see it very near. No criminal makes it safe to the end. There is a day where he will face justice.

Al-Arabi

Paulos

Hayata,

My brave sister, they say, a single brick becomes a building. There is nothing worth a while than guiding the younger generation on how to make sense of the world around them. And that is of course through systematic knowledge.

As we saw, the reason Athens defeated Persia was precisely because her people were free agents as in they were free to think, speak and had their own say in governance as well. And that is the power of Democracy circa 2500 years ago let alone in the 21st Century.

God willing, we will see its [Democracy’s] come back after the death of Alexander the Great, later on in the Roman Empire, Renaissance, Enlightenment, English Civil War [Oliver Cromwell], French Revolution, American Revolution—particularly Alexis Tocqueville’s book, “Democracy in America” on how the Americans got Democracy right as opposed to his country France—when he traveled to America after the American Revolution.

And the two men who gave us not only “Representative Democracy” but also morpged Democracy into “Social Democracy” and “Liberal Democracy”—-Thomas Paine and John Stewart Mill respectively in the 18th Century. And there after as well hopefully to the present day. Thank you for your kind words.

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Dr Paulos,

You are such an Excellent educator. The simplicity of your presentation to the history and evolution of democracy is amazing. The bystander Tigrigna speaking Eritreans could learn easily from this presentation. Good job. I will use this opportunity to share one provoking statement I read from the FB, that has to do with the virtues of democracy. The statement goes like this: “ fairness has historically been the battle between equality and justice.” First do you agree with the statement? if you agree on the statement, can democracy survive with this inherent contradictory virtue? If you disagree with statement can you explain how the two virtues coexist without contradictions with in the concept of democracy? If I disagree with your take, I will say something later on after you deal with it. I don’t want to influence your thinking while you are on it educating the young generation.

Regard

Paulos

Selam Professor A. Hidrat,

Glad you like it and thank you for the kind words.

I would say, “Equality” is fairly new concept whereas “Justice” goes all the way back to the Greek Classics as in Plato and later on during the Antiquity–along side the Christian teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas when he made it more universal and transcendental.

This is to say that, justice not in terms of retribution or as a deterrence but a moral obligation in all of us where we have to extend justice to the disadvantaged and downtrodden. In a more technical lexicon, St. Thomas Aquinas take is taken as a “Natural Law.”

On the other hand, “Equality” is a bit tricky. In the sense that, when we are endowed by nature with unequal talents and competence, is it fair for the able ones when their reward is shared equally with the less able ones? More over, that as it may however, can justice be redistributed equally to every one including to the less able? In a landmark work, in the early 1970s, John Rawls in his “A Theory of Justice” came up with an ingenious idea when he argued that, “Inequality can only be allowed if it benefits the disadvantaged than he or she would be benefited under total equality.” Now, the argument becomes more political than philosophical.

Political in the sense that, how do the demicratic institutions accommodate the less able or the disadvantaged so that he or she is better off in unequal society than he or she would be under complete equality? This certainly cuts deep into the “Social Democratic” center left political philosophy where the entire system is designed to help the disadvantaged and the elderly. Democracy can only offer its verdict when the people choose between “Justice as fairness” or “Justice as it is” in the ballot box.

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Dr Paulos,

Your explanation tend to show that you agreed with the statement. Am I right Doctore? Could you make your explanation along the lines I framed my questions so as to enable me engage you, if you believe both concepts are the virtues of democracy?

regards

Paulos

Selam Professor A. Hidrat,

Well, I found the statement or the assertion, “…the battle between equality and justice….” a bit troubling. And that was the reason that, I was trying to see them in isolation but in the meantime with respect to democracy when democracy is entirely political.

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Dr Paulos,

…….”democracy is entirely political”. So democracy is not political philosophy? Aren’t “equality and justice” the virtues of democracy?

Ismail AA

Selam Dr. Paulos & Aman H,

Interesting stuff. Such discussions on wholesale discourses get reduced to manageable entities interest me. They simplify issues for me to understand. When ever Dr. Paulos and Dr. Beyan raise issues I occasionally behave like a naughty student who giggles when he thinks an opportunity came his way to ask questions irrelevant to material of ongoing lesson in a classroom.

So the first question flashed to my mind was: how can two contradicting sub-issues become virtues of the whole? In this case, justice and equality under democracy. In my mind, the two are functions with in a democracy as a system. Thus, if justice and equality would be waging battles for fairness in the bosom of democracy, one of the two should be a folly that negates the virtue in order to hamper it from realizing fairness. Moreover, as Aman has reported, the process happen in historical frame – space and time.

Hence, here is a question to both of you: is it conceivable (philosophically) two discordant concepts become virtues of a bigger concept – the latter being democracy as a system in which justice and equality clash for the sake of fairness?

Kaleb

Hi Ismail AA,
Democracy is a function of Justice and equality, which means when you have objective Justice you will have better equality which leads to better democracy. Democracy isn’t about a number, it is a value. Therefore, the equality is to mean the value within it. The classical definition of Justice is “Justice is blind”, to mean Justice is impartial and objective. Consequently, equality comes with the value of being blind to everyone. So, I see democracy as a value, the equality isn’t really to mean about mathematical equality rather the value within it. When you have losers and winners, in the eye of Justice both are equal.
Note that democratic value could differ from one country to another. It is true that “democracy is majority rule”, however it’s not always true. If you take American presidential election, it is not majority rule. If you take Hillary vs Trump election as example, majority of the Americans didn’t vote Trump, they voted for Hillary, however the electoral-college vote guaranteed Trump’s presidency. Is it democratic? It depends, if people are agreed with it and are fine with the rules then it is democratic. However, majority of the democratic countries don’t have such kind of rule. Thus, we could see democracy as negotiated value, even though its definition is universal, its application isn’t really that universal, its application defers from people to people, from country to country.
Regarding fairness, it is a negotiated value rather than natural value. If justice becomes too blind, fairness will be negotiated for the sake of social justice. In my opinion, fairness is the outcome of democratic process.

Ismail AA

Selam Kaleb,

Your take and points raised add value to the debate, Thank you. My point was not on the details you have discussed. My question to the two erudite brothers was about whether two virtues (justice and equality) within another bigger virtue (democracy) colliding against one another to produce another virtue (fairness) can pass critical logic. The point that ignited my pondering was that there is collision (battles to use the word used) between justice and equality to generate fairness. If there is a conflict that has to be settled, it means there is contradiction between the two concepts. If there is no conflict, there is no battles to be fought. They are virtues that compliment one another to engender fairness that satisfy stakeholders.

Teodros Alem

selam aman h
Democracy is a participation of mass in poltics, economic and social affairs in a given one particular society or country or group. and democracy also means control of organization or a group or country by the majority of its members or citizens.
That is the meaning of democracy as the world knows it.

Saleh Johar

Tedros,
Democracy is not a reward for the majority but mainly a guarantee for the minority against the tyranny of the majority. Have you considered that?

Teodros Alem

Selam Saleh Johar
Yes , democracy is a majority rule with a guarantee for minority right’s, that is the concept of democracy as the world knows it,

Millennium

Hi Saleh:

I think technically speaking, democracy means the rule of the majority, however the constitution might make provisions for civil liberties there by guaranteeing the rights of the minority including the right of the individual—the smallest minority; I think that is what liberal democracy means. To save the minority from the tyranny of the majority, you will need to qualify democracy with the term “liberal”

Millennium

Saleh Johar

Hi Millenium,
I do believe in liberal democracy, but I became so sensitive to the term I do not utter it as often as I would like. That is because a person I considered as a younger brother and used to lecture him for hours about liberal democracy began to abuse the term and use it as a vehicle for his hate messages. Sorry, Bgemed tedahle blHtsi tedahle koynuni 🙂

Paulos

Selam Professor A. Hidrat,

My apologies. I am on the road driving to the Mid-West for High-School graduation ceremony of a family member. Will try to carry on later on the otherwise engaging issue.

Paulos

Selam Professor A. Hidrat and Kbur Haw Ismail AA,

Democracy is a product of a historical process where it was invented by the Athenians through experimentation. First, it was Monarchy then they tinkered with Aristocratic administration, later on Oligarchic and finally with Democracy.

Now, what did even mean to them at the end of the day? If in principle, the ideals of justice and equality are meant to be the sub-sets of democracy, in Athenian Direct Democracy, they were not, simply because women and slaves were excluded. To be more precise, the critics called it a sham democracy precisely because of that.

The Founding Fathers [US] claimed to be the champions of the “…inalienable rights..” but again women and slaves were excluded. The socially constructed democracy had to evolve and mature so that it lives up to giving birth to equality and justice precisely because democracy is politics not a contemplative or philosophical enquiry.

Hameed Al-Arabi

Ahlan Paulos,

As justice is equal for all, equality means, “ነፍስወከ ክጽዕር ከከምክእለቱ” equal chance should be given to all. I think, it is equality in chance. For instance equality in education, work, health care, etc. At the end of the day, you have equal chance to compete.

Al-Arabi

Millennium

Hi Paulos and Amanuel:

When talking about equality, it is meant about equality of opportunity. For it is very difficult for unequal society to be a just society, it is always imperative that these two values go together. As you said, it may be difficult to make every one equal but society should make sure that every one has equal opportunity. I think the ideal of equality is about creating a level playing field. In other words, equality is a condition for justice. You cannot have one without the other.

In my opinion, Canada for example is a more democratic country than the USA for Canada has a less unequal society. At least, Canada offers all its citizens the same opportunity in terms of education and health and other basic public services. As a result, we can say that Canada is a more just country.

Taking it one notch higher, Switzerland might even be considered more equal and more just country than Canada; Switzerland practices the concept of direct democracy when passing important legislations. The country conducts a referendum (an example of direct democracy) more often when the bill in the parliament is deemed important. This offers the same opportunity to all the citizens when important decisions are being made.

Millennium

iSem

Hi Sig Paoulo:
Master piece, and I reiterate what I said before regarding to your economic piece between these two Eritrean characters with classic names before the, Adonais, Hermons, Asters, Filmons, Yoels, Isaiases, Abels, supplanted theTekles, the Enqays, the Tirhases, the Mihrets, the Hiwets, the Tesfays and Girmays.
These pieces feels like it have been inspired by upbeat mood and they are inspirational and can be developed as a few minutes radio or youtube or fb audio lectures and can educate thousands and so thank so very much
Now the Tigrinya part: so that one day we can develop the language to sophisticated language that we can instruct university and tech fields keep it consistent, a lot of ghedli lexicon seeps into it, the characters name does not ft their diction, the voice of the author vascilate. This reminds me of a FB entry where Pente pastors gathered to oppose the PFD and when I closed my eyes and heard their speech,, I thought I was listening to a former pfdj cadre talking. Yours does not sound like that but refining it or even coining your own words where is none for it now, staying away from some words and finding a pure Tig translation would make the characters shine and memorable. These pieces are literature and creative as much as they are historical and academic
Also the word ማለት እዩ has become like the slang, you know what yo mean man and you do not use it excessively not even close but it one that has litter the language. Four years ago when the Smrerr guys came to Toronto, I counted more than 25 ማለት እዩ from one speaker in less than one hour and Is stopped counting after that and the next speaker, I stopped accounting after10 in ten minutes. I know am biased but I am sure you get my point. MS once described me as traditionalist/conservative linguistic wise. I describe me as “organist” as in expanding the language organically as opposed to borrowing and literal translation.
Also one line that:”….ካብኡ ንኔው ዘሎ ናይ ዲሞክራስያ ምትእትታው ክንርእዮ…”
Since the word ኔው denotes something farther away from you are standing physically or time frame then it should be replace with ካብኡ ንነጀው

Paulos

Semerile,

Many thanks for the encouraging words. And glad you like it.

True to the fact that Tigrinya equivalents are one of the main challenges where the message can get lost in translation. But I am under the impression that the reader can get the general vibe of the intended idea nevertheless.

Been thinking about channeling it either through social media outlets or maybe put it in a book form as well but couldn’t bring myself around it partly maybe due to time constraints and lack of courage as well. And the ንኔው vs. ነጀው is original and thank you for that.

iSem

Paulo:
Like is understatement. A book form is even better. And I tell you what, just keep doing it and they will become a book and when we celebrate our first independence day we can jointly edit it and publish it, of course you do the content and I contribute to make it organic
Of course, I agree the reader will understand it, but it can but these concepts can also server as a tool of making the language better which i think is been shallowed by you know who:-)

Paulos

Semerile,

That would be great. It just occurs to me these days that, not only that I enjoy putting the ideas in Tigrinya but it comes handy as well. I don’t mean to brag or anything like that but I just sit and it flows where I used to take it for granted but not anymore.

Imagine putting in Tigrinya say, “From Atom to the Cosmos” for instance! Of course, so much to digest and head scratching to find Tigrinya equivalent as well but it would definitely be worth it as it may inspire the younger generation to take up a career in that venue. Thanks again.

iSem

Hi Paulo:
I would leave the scientific stuff alone. There is a a funny incident with he late great Michael Gabir that I heard after I arrived i once rhetorically asked the senior class can we learn chemistry in Tig to which one student replied, yes we can and we should and Gabir replied in Tig: CO2 ክመይ ግርካ ትጽሕፎ an handed the student a chalk and student walked to the bb and wrote ካ2.
But there are the social, political words that we can improve and also the sentences we borrow like ባኞ እገብር አለኹ instead of ነብሰይ ይሕጸብ ኣለኹ
When a teacher is absent Gabir would drop by to a class and talk about random and different topics, mostly Eritrean history and there are so many stories about those encounters by students before us, in my time he never did that
I read one intriguing comment by Hayat where she said you have helped eritreans get published and you ignored it ,so no you are not bragging about the flowing ideas. That is what happens when your head is bursting with ideas and when your fingers finally tab away,the pathways open

Paulos

Semerile,

Funny! Maybe you are right. The “Scientific” stuff could be cumbersome. You know, Gabir is a legend in his own right. Can you tell me more about him or can you direct me to a link if there is already written biography about him on the net. What was his background? Thanks.

iSem

Hi Paulo:
Saleh G is one person to turn to, I am not aware of biography. He has written a book about the Blen.
When he passed I emailed W.Amare to write about him and he said that he would do in a separate medium
Gabir was one of the pioneers of Ghedli and history major and a patriot. I heard that when IA joined ELF, he had predicted that he would splinter and he wrote to the leadership about IA bigoted feelings
He had locked horns with students, you know the older ones who were in ghedli. He once told a student that he was baptized in Filfil and told an other one come back to school until ” my bald grows back” when he over heard him say the bald man told me to go home for two days for being late

Paulos

Semerile,

So he knew IA? That is interesting. I am really curious to know about his life for I have heard people particularly his former students mention his name in passing. May his soul rest in peace!

iSem

Hi Paulo:
He knew IA from grad 7. they sat together and IA made filthy comment about lowlanders and Gabir has punched him in Luul Mekonen. And one day when they planned to demonstrate, IA said the police know about our plans so let us stop it to day. Gabir told him to go home to his mother as he is not cut for it
I hope Meakebay dude does not read this because he hates Gabir and has written lies about him. Gabir hated EPLF and rightly so.He knew their implements and he did not shy away to say so and some hated him for that but one thing for sure: he was a patriot

Paulos

Semerile,

You kidding? Da*n, I wish he kicked his sorry azz harder! Gabir must have had great sense of judging a character. People should have listened to him when he said, IA was not cut out for a real deal.

A few years ago, I met a guy who is related to IA who was also a frequent visitor to their residence and he said that, IA was always a loner even at home, he never mingled and would sit at the corner all alone by himself. This was way back when they were teens.

Berhe Y

Hi iSem and Paulo,

Interesting discussion. I just googled Michael Gabir and the following blog by awate’s own tes article about demonstration in Asmara and overs extensively Michael Gabir and others from Bilen.

Paoulo:
About IA loner nature, very true. I know a guy who worked for Hassan Kekia and you know Kekkia was EPLF supporter,he would saddle the stage and would pledge 1000 USD on behalf his daughter. And when IA was in town he would dine and wine at Kekkia’s and my friend had encountered him at such parties and he told me that once he was stopped by 3 security guard waiting in the land cruiser outside And two time IA left the drinking alone leaving Omarro and Semere R and others without telling them and commanding drives to drive him home.
His erratic behavior is I presume due to the ghosts of the thousands innocent fighters he killed shouting into his ears. Eritrea is ruled by terrorist bunch and some one with bipolar disorders
Aldo do you know that when Welde Dawit Temsghen and Seyoum Harestay were arrested in Geza Kenish. IA was supposed to be with them, he was late and although Harestay thinks he saved them from getting killed as he told others, I believe he was the one who alerted the soldiers to arrest them. Harestey said that when IA arrived ridding his bike they told him to go away. Suspect

Paulos

Semerile,

Only heaven knows how many skeletons he has in his closet. What makes it even more of a mystery is that, if that guy was bad news from the get go, not only why they did let him loose but he managed to stay at the top for over 50 years. This is the greatest deception that was ever pulled by a single person over an entire nation. Amazing!

iSem

Paolo:
I let you drive am also at a graduation ceremony this weekend
But briefly: first ELF big heart, they stopped what they considered the low blow, the shooting from the hip, calling him he is from Temben.. it would have worked. Also his foreign alliance. Woyane and CIA and HS that is why. IA was and is an agent. It is easy.But he swaddled himself with the ghedli garb
It is not complicated: his coy comment to Paul H after May 24 in London, MZ letting the rat out of the bag, his Abiye comment. You know how many here say that YG and other like me try to tarnish gheldi, they forget the master of tarnishing all ghedli is IA
Dr..Bereket HS called it the emaculate deception of IA
IA and his handful gangs must be tried for conspiracy against Eritrea and the verdict must be death by hanging like Saddam

Millennium

Hi Paulos:
you come across as an intelligent man yet you fall for such kind of innueudos and conspiracies; how is that possible?

Millennium

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Dr Paulos,

If you are from the early awatawian, by that I mean you were following Awate writers from the beginning, then Amar was writing articles, Eritrean history in their natures under a pen name “ Menhot”. In some of his articles he mentioned Gabir frequently and his role in recruiting students for the Eritrean struggle. Saleh can pull it from the archives and put it as link for public education.

Regards

Paulos

Selam Professor A. Hidrat,

I have seen or read Menhot’s articles on Awate but I don’t remember if he opined on the life of Gabir. It would be of great interest if Awate could avail the article[s].

Saleh Johar

iSem,
The character Gebirrebbi is a depiction of the late Michael Gabor. Wolde has written about him extensively. He has also published micheal’s book about the blin.

Saleh Johar

Paulos,
I got you covered. Read about Gebberrebbi, my character on of kings and bandits and there is everything you need to know about Michael Gabor because that character was built around Michael Gabir.

I enjoy your poem above..Take home of your above content is the first one…

“ይኣክል ኩልና ንበል ይኣክል
መቓልሕ ነስምዕ ንሱ ክድስክል”

Really excellent my dear friend..

KS,,

Consolation

ሓደ ከዳዕ ክለተ ከዳዕ ሽሕ ከዳዕ
ተኣኪቦም ኣይከፍትዋን ታ ቍራዕ

Hameed Al-Arabi

Ahlan Consolation,

When you speak about human beings, you should be humble. You have to understand the world is created for man to act upon it. Man is responsible for his fate on earth. You are very wrong to compare man with flies – it is a sign that you will be defeated at the end of the day. Respect human beings if you have a grain of humanity in you.

Did you read a book written by Sarter called “The Flies”? Here below you have some scripts:

“Many critics consider The Flies (Les Mouches) to be Sartre’s most effective drama. It deals with commitment and resistance, and the theme of freedom is woven throughout the play’s fabric. The play was produced in 1943, during World War II.”

“In The Flies, the principal thought is: Only those people who choose, act, and accept responsibility can be free of “nausea,” free of remorse, and free of the flies.”

hi,
i am wondering what has the” yeakel” movement to do with the ISIS control on siria.
Or does the writer want to tell as, that isis are the role model for a revolution.
In my opinions isis are thieves, murders, rapists , pedophiles and so on and so forth .
By the way the eritrean society is much more civilised than the arab nomads so we donot need to copy and paste this folks, we just need to look up to the chapter of the conflict resolution in the “higi anda ba” and there may be anwers to the current delimma

Mez

Dear Gedab news,

Very informative news article about the unfolding vigorous “#enough” eritrean social movement.

Just few comments:

1) the phrase: “By 2014, …..
8 million population under its mercy” may somewhere in it have to include some thing like ” in its peak-war success time” ….

Because this story is no more true now.

2) the authors didn’t frame and integrate: a) the fundamental political orientation reset (change) inside Ethiopia; and b) the successful removal of war-like relation between Eritrea and Ethiopia. I assume these two changes were fundamental boundary conditions (including the Sudanese) for the intensification of Eritrean social movement than any thing else.

3) Libya, Syria, Yemen with their ongoing civil war, and the Egyptian semi-civil war (with the stubborn militant brotherhood)–
3.1) are not necessarily good examples for Eritrean social movement to learn from; shall rather be the opposite.

Thanks

Saleh Johar

Hi Mez,
Thank you for the feedback.
1. The sentence reads, “By 2014, the Islamic State (ISIS) had controlled large territories in Syria with an estimated 8 million population under its mercy.” It’s already stated in the past tense
2 and 3: The piece was a news item not an opinion or analysis.

Senay Zer

Dear Mez — The current wave of Eritrean opposition movement stands on the shoulders of so many Eritrean giants (including this website), mostly individually but also in smaller groups, that fought so many lonely fights, when it was not ‘fashionable’ and obvious to challenge, criticize and expose the government of PIA. Despite numerous setbacks, they have sustained the struggle and inspired all of us – kudos to them. Obviously, the Arab Spring was an inspiration too, especially to the the EYSC efforts circa 2011. Recent civil movements that successfully ousted authoritarian regimes in Sudan, Algeria, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia are all inspirations – really helped imagine what is possible and imaginable. As you said, there is no question, the changes in Ethiopia and the peace agreement between Eritrea and Ethiopia, along with the extremely bad living situation inside Eritrea were key ingredients and compelled so many Eritreans to be bold and vocal. There is still so many gaps and so much work to do tough – luckily, if you read many of the proclamations, the organizers are acutely aware of the outstanding issue and eager to sort them out.

Hameed Al-Arabi

Ahlan Gedab News,

Really, it is very informative article. Thank you for providing us with the history of Kifaya (Yiakil). I wish the USA Yiakil movement to play a major role in the Eritrean scene. There is a great and tough work awaits ahead the Yiakil congress committee. If they put all the people of Eritrea in front of them, they will certainly succeed.

Moreover, I hope the congress committee to check all slogans written in Arabic and Tigrinia properly. In the symposium hall there was a typo mistake of the word Kifaya (كفاية). This kind of a mistake and in a great occasion should not occur. You have to conceive that you are watched by all Eritreans. I understand, it is not an intentional mistake, but they should take care from coping Isaias practices that intends to divide the people of Eritrea.

Al-Arabi

Hawaz Tesfom

Selam Al-Arabi,

You said: “Lastly, Arabic was absent in the symposium.”
Why Arabic language? Let me ask you a question: Is your mother language Arabic? I don’y think so. You will tell me because of your religion? Actually, Tigre, would make sense instead of Arabic.
No Muslim human being claims Arabic to be national language only because of the religion. Look around the globe. There are more than 1,5 billion Muslims. Only Eritrean Muslim wishes to have Arabic as the national language. What a humiliation. I preferred to teach my kids English and other useful languages than Arabic language. Don’t take me wrong; To know languages is always a plus even, Arabic language. But please don’t try to impose Arabic language on us. I suggest that Tigre and Tigrigna will be the national languages of Eritrea.
You said: “Why there is only one Muslem in the committee?”
My friend, in Eritrea, there is no affirmative action aka Clinton. If you think you have the capability, just join them. I am sure they will welcome you. But don’t expect that someone will be baby sitting you and appease you because of your religion.

Thank you

Hameed Al-Arabi

Ahlan Hawaz Tesfom,

Arabic and Tigrinia for Eritrea are not topics for discussion, they are rights. You have to conceive, Eritreans have closed Isaias and Haile Sellassie pages.

The American Yiakil Eritrean congress members are my brothers, and I have the right as a brother to ask them. They are Eritrean questions. They are not questions directed to you, because they don’t concern you.

Al-Arabi

Senay Zer

Dear Hameed — Clearly, there is gap in representation and communication. Major unaddressed issue. The good news is, you can see, even with the typos, people are trying.